Arriving back in her dormitory, Hermione realised that she'd left her favourite muggle book, 'A Walk to Remember', in the library. It was one that her Mum had read to her when she was little. She had always imagined herself as Jamie, and being found by someone amazing, who did not appear to be good at first glance, but underneath had a heart of gold. Not wanting to lose the book, she hurried back towards the library. As she neared the entrance to library, she saw a figure rush out, in the direction of the entrance to the school grounds. As she made her way through the library, she found her thoughts continuing to drift to Malfoy.

Retrieving her book, she contemplated the fact that he had seemed to be upset. Not embarrassed, as he had been when Crouch had turned him into a ferret, or furious as he had been in third year when she slapped him across the face, but actually… sad. When she had seen him rushing past her, she had caught a glimpse of something in his eyes… something that reflected her own pain.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Hermione headed in the direction in which she had seen Draco running off in. Reaching the entrance to the Hogwarts grounds, she saw him standing about fifty metres away, being completely soaked by the pouring rain. In his hand, he held a water-streaker letter, of which the ink was beginning to drip slowly off of the page, landing on the muddy grass at his feet.

Contemplating him for several seconds, she thought that even with the expression of agony on his face, that damned ferret still looked bloody hot when he was dripping wet. Quickly catching that thought, she wondered what the hell was going through her mind. Shaking her head, she started towards him.

"Malfoy!"

He turned to her, and a scowl came over his features.

"Sod off Granger. I'm not in the mood right now."

"Like I care what you're in the mood for Malfoy. But you're getting absolutely soaked out here, and if you're not careful you're going to get sick. Considering that I'm assisting Madam Pomfrey at the moment, I don't particularly fancy looking after you for the remaining two weeks of the holidays. Get your arse inside."

Watching as Draco deepened his scowl, the one that intimidated many of the younger students, both in Slytherin and the other three houses, Hermione braced her hands on her hips, fiddling with the ring in her pocket out of nervousness.

"I don't want to. I'm staying out here, and there's not a god-damned thing you can do about it!"

"Fine, stay out here!" retorted Hermione as she pulled out her wand, muttering "Impervius". under her breath, pointing her wand first at him, and then at herself. "But you're at least bloody well going to stay dry! And now you're going to tell me what the hell is going on." she continued, marching towards him.

Draco was looking at her closely, almost as closely as she was observing him. As she looked into his eyes, she could see the pain reflected in them, and thought to herself that it was almost identical to that which shone out of her eyes when she looked into the mirror.

Looking down at his hand instinctively, she could faintly make out the words "death, father, Azkaban, suicide, mother", and looked back up at him, with something akin to pity and understanding in her eyes. So that bastard had a heart after all.

Without even thinking about who it was actually in front of her, Hermione reached out and enveloped Draco in her arms.

Oh how I wish

For soothing rain

All I wish is to dream again

Feeling her arms wrap around him, Draco broke out of his miserable reverie. He looked down at her, not returning the embrace, puzzled. Why was she hugging him? What did she have to gain from it? What in Merlin's name was going on with this dumb witch?

Looking past her to the letter in his hand, he saw the same words on the page as she had, and finally understood. She knew. She knew that Lucius had been found dead in his cell two days ago, by his mother when she went to visit him. The Ministry had ruled his death a suicide, as he had been found with his wrists slit. His mother did not believe that Luicius' death was a suicide, but she would not explain why to him in this letter. She had said that she would tell him when he came home for the summer holidays, and that they would deal with it then.

Looking back at Hermione, he saw she was looking up at him, and puzzled and slightly mortified look in her eyes, and realised that she had finally figured out what she was doing. However, for some reason that he could not explain, he found her embrace comforting. And when did he start thinking of her as Hermione? Pushing the thought from his mind, he pulled her closer to him, her head resting against his shoulder.

Continuing to look her over, he finally arrived at her eyes. In them he saw the same pain he knew must be shining out of his, and something else... something that looked suspiciously like pity. Pity? How dare she even think to pity him! He was a Malfoy for Merlin's sake, and received pity from no one, least of all a bushy-haired, know-it-all Gryffindor like her. Pulling out of her arms angrily, he took a step back and glared at her furiously.

"What the hell are you doing!" he screamed at her.

She looked back at him, and he could see confusion and hurt fluttering across her face, followed rapidly by embarassement and anger.

"I was hugging you, you stupid git! What did you think I was doing, playing Quidditch?" she retorted.

"I do not need pity from the likes of you, Granger! And I don't need you to treat me like I'm Potty or Weasel, just after I've lost a Quidditch game or something!"

"I don't pity you Malfoy! Ever! What I feel for you is sorrow and understanding. Sorrow, because no-one deserves to lose a parent, especially to suicide or murder, and understanding because I am possibly the only damned person in this school who actually does understand what the hell you're going through at the moment. In case you'd forgotten, Malfoy, you aren't the only person in this conversation who has lost a parent this year. Be fucking thankful you only lost one! I lost both of mine, to one of your BASTARD father's friends, so I will never feel sorry for the fact that he is dead. What I am sorry about is that you have to go through this same fucking, Merlin damned pain that I've been going through every day for the past six months. No-one should have to go through that, you stupid moron!"

Draco stared, shocked, as Hermione burst into tears, her emotions causing the Impervius charm on the both of them to evaporate. She looked so sad, standing there with rain dripping down her skin, her hair straightening out under the weight of the water. He couldn't believe that she, the perfect Gryffindor princess, had actually sworn at him. Or that he had managed to forget, in the space of 10 minutes, that she too had lost her family. She was right. No-one should have to go through the pain he was going through now. He must be the coldest bastard on the history of the world.

Stepping towards her, he stopped merely 10 centimetres in front of her, and reached out to tilt her head up so that he could see her face.

"Hermione, please stop crying. I'm sorry. I was just shocked..."

Hermione looked up at him, clearly startled. She started to reply, but Draco moved his fingers from her chin to her lips, and gave in to the temptation he'd been fighting ever since he'd seen her crying in the library earlier in the day.

In the pouring rain, Draco Malfoy slowly lent in, and kissed Hermione Granger.

Oh how I wish

For soothing rain

All I wish is to dream again